FPN04-05

FY 2005 Fusion Budget Request

February 2, 2004

President Bush sent his Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Request to Congress on February 2, 2004. For the Department of Energy's Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, the President requests $264.1 million, the same amount Congress appropriated for FY 2004. The President, however, proposes to distribute those funds somewhat differently, primarily by re-directing some additional resources in support of the international ITER tokamak project. All long-range fusion technology programs (a total of $3.1 million in FY 2004) would be terminated. Direct ITER funding would be increased from $3 million in FY 2004 to $7 million in FY 2005 and an additional $31 million of ongoing tokamak research would be refocused in support of ITER.

Of the $264 million, $13.9 million would be devoted to inertial fusion energy, with the balance focused on magnetic fusion energy science. $18.1 million would be spent on innovative alternate concepts research other than than the Spherical Torus (NSTX), Compact Stellarator (NCSX) and Reversed Field Pinch (MST).

In unveiling the DOE budget, Energy Secretary Abraham said that within the $264 million fusion budget request, "DOE's contribution to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project in FY 2005 is $38 million, $30 million more than last year, and is consistent with the Administration's renewed commitment to contribute to this $5 billion cost-shared project that may ultimately lead to a fusion power plant that delivers electric power to the grid.